During the session of the Legislature 1850--1851 when Clarke County was organized, a commission of three were appointed to go to Clarke County and select a site for the county seat and named the town of Osceola after the Seminole Indian Chief. The commission consisted of Beverly Searcy, James Graham and Samuel D. Bishop. On August 16, 1851 they selected the land which George W. Howe had entered in March of the same year, and on the day of August Jerry Jenks began to survey for the town.

The first building in Osceola was a log cabin in which George Howe kept a store. About the same time John Shearer built two pens and covered them over and kept boarders until he could complete a two story hotel.

On Oct. 13, 1851 occured the first sale of lots in Osceola. Eight fine lots were sold at the average price of twenty two dollars each.

The first marriage was between David A. Waynick and Martha E. Shearer, the first birth was Florence A. Lamson and the first death that of Mary Hurst. The first court house was built in 1854, the contract being awarded to P. J. Goss. It was a large two story wooden building and was on the north side of the square.

J. H. Schoot seems to have been the first teacher in Osceola. A little later school was held in a two story building with R. A. Dague as superintendent and Emma DeZelen and Georgia Devaul as teachers. In 1868 the first brick building was built.

Street Scene

The first physician was Dr. Sherrick.

There was a building just east of where the Eddy grain office is at the present, known as the Blue Church in which various church denominations held services, Sunday School classes were held and various meetings and gatherings were held there. However, the Methodist Episcopal was the first church organization to build their own church building in Osceola. This was in 1857.

In the early history of Osceola there were several factories. H. F. Gross built a large woolen mill and D. R. Raymond and J. W. Kelly built a flour mill in the east part of town. J. C. Painter built a flour mill in the west part of town. C. Standish built and operated a foundry. J. C. Strawn had a plow factory and also made hay stackers and rakes.

A large creamery was built by George C. Holt and W. H. Hall. None of these enterprises remain today.

The first newspaper established in Osceola was the Osceola Courier started by Pike and Oldham in 1859. After three years they sold to J. H. Caverly and the name changed to Union Sentinel. After the Civil War was over the name was changed to Osceola Sentinel and under that name has been published ever since. F. M. Estes established the New Era in 1873 and after a few years it was sold to G. C. Miller who changed the name to Osceola Democrat. The Saturday Mail was established in 1886 by J. Y. Stiers but was dis­continued after a short time.

It is interesting to note that in an early day before the court house was built in the center of the park that it was rented to P. L. Flowler who kept a number of Jersey cattle pastured there. He had a tankard windmill where the east well is at present.

The first fourth of July celebration was held in 1858. All the county had been notified to bring their dinner and come to town for the celebration. They cut down saplings and made a grove where the stockyards are now located. At that time trees did not grow on the uplands on account of the prairie fires and the trees planted in the park were not large enough for shade so an artifical grove was made. Of course they had no firecrackers so for noise they used blacksmith anvils and gun-powder. There was a parade before dinner in which many decorated wagons took part. At noon the dinners were spread out on one big picnic dinner.

School house built in 1868 and still in use as a school.